Aspiring law enforcement officers can learn more about how to become a police officer in Nevada from the following article. It is necessary to point out that the police academies in this state have some of the highest standards and most difficult training programs in the US.

Nevertheless, committed cadets who meet the requirement of the academy (legal, medical, fitness, etc.) have an excellent chance of joining the law enforcement field in Nevada by obtaining certification from the Nevada Commission on POST.

Minimum Requirements to Become a Police Officer in Nevada

At least 21 years of age at the time of appointment

Must have U.S. citizenship at the time of appointment.

A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or…

2 years of uninterrupted active military service or public contact service (for example sales or customer service) or…

an Associates of Arts degree plus one year experience in the military or public contact service.

Steps on How to Become a Police Officer in Nevada

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department holds recruiting seminars to see if there are interested applicants who want to join the force. This is a great starting point for people interested in becoming a police officer in Nevada. In these seminars you’ll learn schedules, requirements, benefits, basically all the information you need for you to make an informed decision if you want to join the force.

Download the review guide from the LVMPD website and review to help prepare for the written exam.

You’ll go through a series of exams – written, physical and oral. Written exam will count as 60% of the total score of the exam while the oral board will count as 40%. The physical test will be graded on a pass or fail basis.

Candidates will then go through a background check. All their records will be checked – financial, criminal, driving and past work records. Background testing is also done by an investigator calling relatives, co-workers, neighbors or anyone associated with the applicant. Candidates will then go through a polygraph test to verify that all that they have written in the application is correct. Finally applicants go through a psychological and physical testing.

A selection committee will review and determine whether the applicant is fit to join the Las Vegas Police academy.

Joining the Academy

A noteworthy aspect is that the Carson City academy is currently the only institution in this state that requires a candidate to have a job with one of the local police departments before he is eligible for training. However, candidates who are unable to obtain a job with the Nevada law enforcement agencies can opt for other academies in order to obtain basic training.

The validity of the training is 24 months and after this period, the candidates who did not get hired by a law enforcement agency will have to undergo training again.

Disqualifying Factors in Becoming a Police Officer in Nevada

The thorough background investigation has the role of uncovering the history of the candidate and the potential factors that would constitute immediate disqualifiers (E.G. usage, possession or sale of illegal drugs, physical violence, felony convictions in the state of Nevada, and etc.). In addition, the candidate cannot exhibit conditions that would prevent him from performing his active duties in the field of law enforcement and meet the entry fitness standards (as set by the academy).

POST Fitness Standards in Nevada

Upon the graduation from the academy, the candidate must pass the POST fitness test by complying to the following minimal standards:

14 inch vertical jump

30 sit-ups per minute

23 push-ups (not timed)

Run 300 meters within a 68-sec time frame

Complete a 1.5 run/walk in 16 minutes and 58 seconds.

Finish the agility run in 19.5 seconds.

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For more information please visit the State of Nevada Department of Public Safety website or call (866) 686-3287 for more details.